How I met my father
by DieAstra
Summary: How exactly does one contact someone that doesn't want to be found? Missing scene about the finale of season 2 - beware, spoilers! I just wondered how Malcolm knew where to pick up Thea.


**How I met my father**

I need to hurry. Roy will be back soon and then we can finally leave Starling city forever. I can't wait to get out of here. Too much has happened that I want to forget. I'm not even looking at the things I throw into his suitcase, I grab whatever I can find. But suddenly the world comes to a stop. There is a bow and arrows. They were hidden, apparently I was not supposed to see them. Despite him swearing he would never fight again.

Just one more betrayal. And I really had thought Roy would be different than my family. Liars, they all are liars. I don't want to see any of them again. Malcolm Merlyn was right after all. He's the only one that never lied to me. Aside from not telling me about the whole father business, of course. But I'm sure he would have if he had known. Surely he only found out recently. I can ask him when I see him.

I need to find him.

Blindly, I run out into the street, but there is a little problem: he hasn't exactly left me a phone number. How the hell am I supposed to find him in this city, where madness waits around every corner?

"Hey! Mr. Merlyn! Are you there?"

No answer. I told him not to follow me, and apparently he didn't. Damn. At this precise moment I wished he hadn't done what I wanted.

I consider my options. I could go back home, surely Merlyn's phone number must be somewhere in Mom's address book. But that would take too long (and hurt too much) and it's probably all packed away anyway.

His home or his office? I didn't exactly understand what happened to those, but I doubt it's where he would go now.

There needs to be another way. A quicker way. I hear some noise from the end of the street and start running towards it. If there is trouble, that will be good. He said he would be there when I need him. Well, I hope he really meant it. Otherwise this will turn out to be a very stupid idea.

There is indeed a single masked man trying to find something to damage. He stops in his tracks when he hears me and slowly turns around. Then he starts walking towards me. And still no Malcolm Merlyn in sight.

Yes, this turns out to be a really bad idea. But it's too late now to run away. I'm going to die here on this street and nobody will help me.

But suddenly my father – wow, have I really started to call him "father" now? – sneaks up from behind the man and jabs a syringe into his neck. The man falls down and lies still on the ground. With my eyes warily on him in case he moves again, I ask, in the general direction of Malcolm Merlyn, "What took you so long?!"

He snorts. "I hadn't expected for you to change your mind so quickly. When you want to become a Merlyn you need to stop acting like a child. Make a decision and then stick with it."

"What was in that syringe?", I ask to deflect from my own shortcomings.

"I'll explain it to you later."

Yay, finally someone who wants to explain things. I'm really sick of all those lies.

Finally I dare to look at him. He's changed; the black suit is gone and he is wearing one of his business suits. It feels like a bit of normality amidst all this madness. He's standing there, expectantly, waiting for me to make my mind up. And I have now.

"I'll go with you, the sooner, the better."

He smiles quickly but then frowns. "What are you doing in this neighbourhood anyway?"

"I… I was going to run away with Roy, somewhere nobody knows us and we can start anew. But then…"

"What happened?" His voice is very soft now. It would be so great to have a father again. I resist the urge to run and throw myself into his arms. I'm not a little girl anymore.

"He lied to me. As they all do. That's all." I don't want to talk about it. Not now. I just want this day to end.

"Where is he at the moment?"

"Probably fighting some place or another."

"He'll search for you when he comes back and he finds you are not there."

True. I hadn't thought about that. He wouldn't just let me go. Not without an explanation.

We had walked back to Roy's home while talking. Now we are standing at the door.

"I need to write him a message."

"Do that and then come. I'll wait in the car. It's just around the corner."

And so I write that message, and I get into the car with this man that wants to be my father, and I never once look back. It just feels right.

One day I am going to ask him where he was when Mom died.

I really could have used his help then.

The End


End file.
